24 August 2018
Nurturing a culture of inclusion where diverse views and experiences are embraced and every person is valued and respected is one of our major objectives at Hydro Tasmania. That’s why we’re so proud to be one of two sponsors for Engineers Australia’s diversity in engineering scholarship for women this year. The annual $5,000 scholarships go to two female engineering students to help buy books, pay uni fees or anything else to support their study. This year our scholarship went to first year UTAS engineering student Lucy Watt. The former Mt Carmel College and Guildford Young College student was inspired to become an engineer after a visit to the UTAS Science and Engineering Challenge in grade 10. She said the scholarship would make a huge difference for her. “By awarding me this scholarship, you have lightened my financial burden, which allows me to focus more on the most important aspect of University; learning,” she said. Lucy told us she aspired to become a role model for young women considering taking a similar career path. “I hope that one day, I’ll be able to be an ambassador for women to study engineering,” she said. “Your generosity will allow me to pursue my dreams. I promise I will work hard to prove myself worthy of this opportunity.”
She was presented the award by Entura’s Managing Director, Tammy Chu, a successful female engineer who has led the way for young women who aspire to do the same. Ms Chu said it was vital that leading companies like Hydro Tasmania empower women to back themselves and chase their dreams. Hydro Tasmania CEO, Steve Davy, said the energy industry, and particularly engineering roles, had traditionally been very male-dominated. “Our industry is working towards a much better balance, but there’s still plenty of work to do,” he said. “The Hydro Tasmania group employs more than 1,100 people. Just under a third of them are women, but that ratio is steadily increasing in recent years. “Our target to boost the proportion of women in management roles to at least 30 per cent by 2020 has already been exceeded. “We want to ensure aspiring female engineers have a clear and confident career path, and feel appreciated by would-be employers. “They need to know that engineering’s no longer a boys’ club, that a strong career is within their reach, and businesses like Hydro Tasmania will support them.” To find out more about the scholarship visit the Engineers Australia website.
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